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G. HESS.

SOCKET AND CONNECTION FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT CIRCUITS. No. 325,540.

Patented Sept. 1,v 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. G. HESS. I

SOCKET AND CCNNECTICN FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT CIRCUITS. No. 325,540. Patented Sept. 1, 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcia.

GODFREY HESS, OF XVILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHS TO HENRY METZGER, OF SAME PLACE, AND GEORGE XV. DYER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SOCKET AND CONNECTION FOR ELECTRIC-LIGHT CIRCUITS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,540, dated September 1, 1885.

Application filed March 13, 1895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GQDFREY Hnss, of Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sockets and Connections for Electric-Light Circuits, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object I have in view is to produce a simple form of electric night-lamp to for use in multiple-arc systems of lighting by electric incandescence.

Heretofore the most efficient form of electric night-lamp has been obtained by the employment of two incandescent lamps connected to- 1 gether through a switch, by which they could be thrown into series in the same circuit. The lamps being designed to have the normal incandescence when in separate circuits, the result of throwing them into series in the same circuit was to reduce largely the degree of incandescence and to produce an illuminating effect less than that produced by one lamp at normal incandescence. The dim light thus obtained was found suitable for a nightlamp. The night-lamp as heretofore constructed required the use of a switch and connections of some complication for throwing the lamps from a multiple are to a series relation, and when the lamp-sockets employed were with- 0 out circuit-controllers, (keyless sockets,) as was frequently the case, it was not possible to use less than both lamps at full incandescence.

By my invention the switch and connections therewith referred to are dispensed with and a night-lamp is produced in which one lamp can be used at full incandescence for full light and the two lamps in series for the dim light. This I accomplish by the production of a shortcircuiting lamp socket, which is connected in series with a key-socket (one having a circuitcontroller making and breaking the circuit) of ordinary construction. The 'short-circuiting lamp-socket has a circuit-controller which in one position short-circuits the lamp carried by it and in the other position throws such lamp into circuit. Lamps being placed in these two sockets and the key of the ordinary socket being turned to close the circuit, the two (No model.)

lamps can be thrown into series or one lamp 5o short-circuited and the other given its full or normal incandescence by the manipulation of the key of the short-circuiting socket. By means of the key of the ordinary socket the circuit can be opened and closed for throwing the light off and on whether full or dim.

The short-circuiting lamp-socket is a device of simple construction. I take an ordinary key-socket and arrange the connections so that the circuit-controller will close a short-circuit instead of breaking the circuit entirely.

In the lamp-socket at present used in the Edison system of lighting by electrical incandescence one of the circuit-terminals is a screwring and the other isaspring, which is thrown up by the key against the tip of the lamp to close circuit and is drawn out of contact with such lamp-tip to break circuit, the spring resting upon insulation in this second position. By extending the flange of the screw-ring under the end of this spring so that the spring will rest upon such flange when withdrawn from contact with the lamp-tip, a short circuit will be closed from the spring to the ring, cut ting the lamp out of circuit in the second po sition of the spring.

The two-lamps of my night-lamp may be arranged together or separated to any desired extent.

The resistance-lamp (the one in the shortcircuiting socket) may be in sight, or it may be hidden from view in any suitable way, and this lamp need not be of the standard resistance of the system; but (especially if hidden from view) it can be of any desired resistance to give in the other lamp the desired degree of incandescence.

The principle of my short-circuiting socket and its connection in sericswith an ordinary socket containing an electric lamp may be employed for other purposes than the specific one described. It canbc used for introducing any form of translating device into circuit in series with a lamp, such translating device being mounted upon the short-circuiting sock- 9 5 et or connected therewith by wires running to an attaching-plug placed like a lamp in said socket.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure l is an elevation of a night-lamp arrangement embodying my invention, the tubes being in section to show the wires. Fig. 2 is a View, principally in diagram,of the night-lamp arrangement; Fig. 3, a similar View showing the invention applied to introducing into circuit other translating devices than lamps. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the preferred form of short-circuiting socket, and Fig. 5 a view, similar to Figs. 2 and 3, of a modification.

A is a shortcircuiting socket having for one terminal a screw-ring, B, and for the other terminal a spring, 0. The upper end of this spring is horizontal, and rests, when down, upon the flange a of the screw-ring B.

The circuit-controlling stem or keyD raises the spring from a when turned in one direction, and when turned in the other direction permits the spring to rest upon such flange.

In the ordinary key-socket, which is shown at E in Figs. 2 and 3, the flange of ring B is on the opposite side of the socket and is not touched by such spring, which rests upon insulation when withdrawn from contact with the tip ofthe lamp.

F and G are the two lamps of the nightlamp, F being placed in the short-circuiting socket and G in the ordinary socket.

The sockets A and E are shown in Fig. 1 as mounted upon the arms of a V-shaped tube, 1).

In Fig. 3 an attaching-plug, H, is shownin the short-circuiting socket, from which extend .wires 1 2 to any translating device it is desired to introduce into circuit in series with lamp G.

The sockets A and E are connected in series, as shown. A wire, 8, extends to ring B of socket A, from spring 0 of which wire 4. runs to ring B of socket E, and from spring 0 of socket E extends a third wire, 5.

The wires 3 and 5 are connected with the positive and negative conductors of the electric-lighting system, the devices described being in one of the multiple-arc circuits of such a system.

It is evident that akeyless socket (one without a circuit-controller) could be used in place of socket E, in which case the stem or key I) of socket A could be arranged to give the spring 0 an intermediate position, touching neither flange anor the lamptip and opening the circuit to both lamps. This modification is shown in Fig. 5.

Vhat I claim is 1. The combination of an electric-lamp socket having a short-circuiting circuit-controller and an ordinary lamp-socket connected in series, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with an electriclamp socket having a short-circuiting circuit-controller, ofa lamp-socket having a simple circuit opening and closing device, such sockets being connected in series, substantially as set forth.

3. An electric night-lamp wherein are combined a lighting-lamp, a resistancelamp, and one or more circuit-controllers throwing the lighting-lamp into and out ot'ei rcuit separately or in series with the resistance-lamp, the latter only being thrown into circuit in series with the lighting-lamp, substantially as set forth.

4. An electric night-lamp wherein are combined two incandescent electric lamps connected in series, a circuit-controller short-cireuiting onelamp and another circuit-controller opening and closing the circuit to both lamps, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I at'fix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GODFREY HESS.

iVitnesses:

J T. FREDERIOKS, JOHN F. LAEDLEIN. 

